Plum Island Artists Donna Osborne & Mary Ann Varoski Exhibit at Joppa Flats

The Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Joppa Flats Education Center announces the opening of an exhibit featuring the paintings of Plum Island artists Donna Osborne and Mary Ann Varoski.  The show, entitled “Everyday Views Become Special,” will be held in the Center’s Juliet Kellogg French Room from February 28 through April 11, 2010.  The artists will introduce their work at an opening reception on Sunday, February 28, at 2:30 p.m. at the Joppa Flats Education Center.

Donna Osborne has been painting for over twenty years, primarily in oil on canvas and in water colors. Her work focuses on New England landscapes, coastal scenes, and scenes from her travels throughout Europe. In all her works she tries to capture the local flavor and character of her subject. The natural beauty of the sea and salt marshes of Plum Island have provided inspiration for many of her paintings.

Donna is a member of the Newburyport Art Association and has been in numerous juried shows. She has studied under local artists Pat Lutz, Allen Bull, and Lully Schwartz. She is currently studying under Julie Airoldi.

A native of Plum Island, Mary Ann is a realist painter and has studied with Robert Scott Jackson, J.C. Airoldi, and Lully Schwartz.   She is a member of the Newburyport Art Association and has juried into their member and regional shows.

Mary Ann received her BFA from Nathaniel Hawthorne College and her MSAE from the Massachusetts College of Art.  She has taught the visual arts for many years. She has had solo exhibits at the Anna Jaques Gallery, David’s Tavern, and the Carry Out Café in Newburyport. She has participated in group shows at the Newburyport Art Association, the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, and the Topsfield Library.

The reception on February 28 is open to the public free of charge.  A portion of all purchases made during the exhibit helps to support Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats.

Mass Audubon is the largest conservation organization in New England, caring for 34,000 acres of conservation land and providing education programs for 200,000 children and adults annually.  Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center, located at One Plum Island Turnpike in Newburyport, is a natural history education center that is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday and Monday holidays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Call 978-462-9998 for information about additional programs and events, or visit the website at www.massaudubon.org.